Maze toy

ABSTRACT

A toy comprises a stafflike body of wood, plastic, metal or other equivalent material and of a ring encircling this body. The body has several consecutive flanges with notches which are located at different points in every two consecutive flanges, and the ring encircling the body consists of a sleeve having an inner diameter consistent with the outer diameter of the flanges and an inwardly directed projection permitting axial displacement of the ring only when the projection and the notch of an adjacent flange register.

United States Patent [mentors Appl. No. 808,744 Filed Mar. 20, 1969 Patented July 20, 1971 Priority Feb. 4, 1969 Finland 324/69 MAZE TOY 1 3 Claims 3 Drawing Figs. v US. Cl 273/153 R, 70/290 Int. Cl A63f 9/08 Field ofSearch ..i 273/l53,- 156; 70/289, 290

.Iorma Vennola Luoteisvayla 17 B, Helsinki; Pekka Korpijaakko, lmpilahdentie 14 A,. Laaksolahti, both of, Finland Primary ExaminerAnton O. Oeclisle Attorney-Waters, Roditi, Schwartz & N issen ABSTRACT: A toy comprises astafflike body of wood, plastic, metal orother equivalent material and of a ring encircling this body. The body has several consecutive flanges with notches which are located at different points in every two consecutive flanges, and the ring encircling the body consists of a sleeve having an inner diameter consistent with the outer diameter of the flanges and an inwardly directed projection permitting axial displacement of the ring only when the pro jection and the notch 'of an adjacent flange register.

PATENTEU JUL 20 IQTI MAZE TOY The invention relates to manipulative toys for young children.

Toys are known which are intended to entertain and, on the other hand, to educate the child. The purpose of the present invention is to afford a toy which presents quite particular advantages in these respects.

According to the invention, the toy comprises an elongated stafflike body with axially spaced flanges having notches therein, and a sleeve encircling the body and having an inward 1 projection permitting axial displacement of the ring only when the projection is aligned with the notch of an adjacent flange. The notches in adjacent flanges are angularly offset from one another.

When the toy according to this invention is used in play, the aim is to move a sleeve from one end of the body to the other. This is not quite simply accomplished because the projection of the sleeve can pass each flange of the body in one single, accurately determined rotatory position only. Since the notch of the next flange is not found at the same point, it is necessary to find again that rotatory position in which the projection of the sleeve may pass this next flange. The operation is thus continued by alternately turning the sleeve and moving it in axial steps, until the sleeve has arrived at the other end of the stafflike body.

The educative effect of the toy is based on the fact that the child has to combine two motions of different directions in order to be able to shift the sleeve as desired. When the child learns how to moves the sleeve, he will be entertained by the toy in trying to move the sleeve as fast as possible from one end ofthe body to the other.

But a toy according to the invention has also its uses for adult persons, who maycompete in manual dexterity. In such instances the time required to move the sleeve is measured. Moreover, a toy according to the invention possesses therapeutic value in that two motions of different direction are combined when it is used. Especially, the muscles moving the fingers and wrists are exercised by the toy.

One advantageous embodiment of the invention is characterized in that the length of the sleeve at least equals the distance of three consecutive flanges. In that case, the flange past which one tries to move the sleeve is completely invisible and, consequently, turning of the sleeve into correct position can only be accomplished by trial and error.

The invention is described, for the purpose of illustration, hereafter with reference to the attached drawing, in which FIG. 1 shows the toy, viewed from the side, with the sleeve sectioned,

FIG. 2 is a section taken along line lI-II in FIG. 1, and

FIG. 3 is a section taken along line III-III in FIG. I.

The toy consists of a stafflike body I having several consecutive flanges 2. The body has been made, for example of wood, on a lathe. In its flanges 2 except the endmost flanges 3 and 4, a notch 5 having the shape of a circular segment has been cut. The notches 5 in consecutive flanges are located at different angular position.

The body is encircled by a sleeve 6 having an inner diameter consistent with the outer diameter of the flanges 2-4. In the middle of the sleeve 6 a circumferential opening has been cut,

into which e.g. by glueing, a segmentally shaped projection 7 has been fixed, as can best be seen from FIG. 2. The projection 7 is consistent in its shape with the notches S in the flanges 2. The length of the sleeve 6 is somewhat greater than the distance between three consecutive flanges 2. The thickness of the projection is approximately equal to the thickness of a flange and to the spacing between adjacent flanges as shown in FIG. 1.

In FIG. I, the sleeve 6 has been shown in the position in which the notch inthe third flange 2, counted from the top,

and the projection 7 of the sleeve register so that the sleeve can be axially moved until the projection 7 strikes against one of the two ad acent flanges. In the lower part of FIG. 1, the sleeve has been shown, in dot-dash lines, in a position in which it cannot be axially displaced. Axial displacement is only possible after the sleeve has been turned in one direetionor the other until the projection 7 coincides with the notch in the flange above or below it.

Various embodiments of the invention may naturally vary within the scope of the claims presented below. Since in the case illustrated in the drawing the end flanges 3 and 4 have no notches, the sleeve 6 cannot be completely detached from the body 1. But notches may equally well be out also in the end flanges 3 and 4.

In the case illustrated in the drawing, the sleeve 6 has one projection 7 and each flange has one notch 5. It is obvious that in the sleeve 6 two or several projections 7 may be provided and in the flanges, correspondingly, two or several notches 5.

The shape of the projections 7 and notches 5 is obviously not confined to that shown in the drawing, the only fact being es sential that the projection 7 can pass through the notch 5.

The invention also embraces such an equivalent embodiment in which in the sleeve 6 an inwardly directed flange has been provided into which a notch has been cut and on the body I projections have been formed in corresponding manner.

We claim:

1. A toy comprising an elongate body of circular cross section, said body including a plurality of axially spaced flanges thereon in a number exceeding three, and a sleeve encircling said body and having an inner diameter corresponding to the outer-diameter of the flanges so as to be axially slidable therealong, said flanges each having a notch therein, the notches of adjacent flanges being angularly offset from one another, said sleeve including an inward projection corresponding in shape to the notches such that axial displacement of the ring can be effected only when the projection of the ring is aligned with the notch of the adjacent flange, said projection being disposed substantially centrally of the length of the sleeve, the sleeve having a length to extend over three 

1. A toy comprising an elongate body of circular cross section, said body including a plurality of axially spaced flanges thereon in a number exceeding three, and a sleeve encircling said body and having an inner diameter corresponding to the outer diameter of the flanges so as to be axially slidable therealong, said flanges each having a notch therein, the notches of adjacent flanges being angularly offset from one another, said sleeve including an inward projection corresponding in shape to the notches such that axial displacement of the ring can be effected only when the projection of the ring is aligned with the notch of the adjacent flange, said projection being disposed substantially centrally of the length of the sleeve, the sleeve having a length to extend over three consecutive flanges and to leave the remaining flanges exposed, said notches and said projection having the shape of segments of a circle having a significant arcuate extent, said projection having a thickness approximately equal to the axial extent of a flange.
 2. A toy as claimed in claim 1 comprising end flanges on said body free of notches to prevent removal of the sleeve.
 3. A toy as claimed in claim 1 wherein adjacent flanges are axially spaced from one another by a distance approximately equal to the axial extent of a flange. 